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Jane Creaby
Manasquan resident Jane Creaby passed away on Friday, Dec. 7, in her home with her family by her side.
She was 58 years old.
Jane was a devoted mother and wife who thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her family.
Jane was co-manager of the Christian Brothers Academy Bookstore for 10 years, and past president of the CBA Mother’s Club. She also taught CCD at St. Catharine’s Church, Holmdel, for several years.
Jane was born in Fairford, England and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., where she lived for 33 years. She then moved to Middletown and resided there for 18 years before moving to Manasquan three years ago.
Jane was predeceased by her father, Jan Zakrzewski and her brother, John Zakrzewski.
She is survived by her husband of 35 years, James Creaby, of Manasquan. She is also survived by her mother, Anastasia Zakrzewski, of Lincroft; three sons, Kevin Creaby, of Cockysville, Md., Nicholas Creaby, of Manasquan and Matthew Creaby, also of Cockysville, Md.; a sister and brother-in-law, Sophie and Bernie McGill, of Staten Island, N.Y.; a brother, Stefan Zakrzewski, of Washington state; a niece, Kate McGill and a nephew, Peter McGill.
Interment was private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to CBA Scholarship Fund, 850 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, 07738.
Orender Family Home for Funerals, Manasquan, was in charge of the arrangements.
Norman L. Wolfson
Point Pleasant resident Norman L. Wolfson died Tuesday, Dec. 4. The cause was cancer.
He was 85 years old.
In his own words, his life was a paradox.
Recently, after a series of illnesses, he told a friend, “I am tired of growing up.”
A year ago, at the age of 84, after completing his sixth book, he became a columnist for the Parker syndicate of papers located in Basking Ridge.
Considering himself a young street-tough, he wondered in “Life’s Snapshots, ” one book he authored, how it was possible that he ended up advising corporate heads as well as heads of state.
The heads of state were Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lopez Portillo and Miguel Alleman, both of Mexico, and Anastasio Somoza Debayle, of Nicaragua. The corporate chiefs were legion running the gamut from Herbert Hoover, head of the vacuum cleaner company, to Herman W. Lay, chairman of PepsiCo.
An enlisted man in the Navy during World War II, when he married
he seemingly reached high for his best man. His choice was Ralph Cousins, admiral of the fleet during the Vietnam War, and later of the Atlantic Fleet.
That wedding was more than a half century ago. Recently asked about the paradox, he replied, “Oh, Ralph was a fine pal and best man; but I was, and still am, more interested in the real trophy of that day and a lifetime, my wife.” Mrs. Wolfson, nee Elizabeth Basler Good, died in October 2005.
Considered a poor high school and college student, in later years he became a personal and business friend of one of the nation’s giant intellects, J. Presper Eckert, the father of the electronic computer.
For half a decade in the 1950s, he served a office head and chief political advisor to the late Representative Robert W. Kean [R. 12th Dist, NJ] father of former governor Thomas Kean.
Before that he was a byline feature writer for the Newark Evening News, then the documentary newspaper of the state.
He authored “Pal of the Gods, Choosing A College” [ghosted for John C. Hoy, Dean of Admissions at Wesleyan University], “To Be Or Not To Be, ” “Life’s Snapshots, ” “The Gamblers” and Life “Happens.”
William F. Buckley Jr. wrote in his syndicated column: “…there is a directness, a candor, a textural reality to Wolfson’s writing…” Mr. Wolfson cherished theses words more than almost any he had received in praise of his work.
When The New York Times ran his piece about the failing life of his dog, he experienced a level of satisfaction writing had infrequently offered. As a bonus he learned, off the record, that letters to the Times praising the article outnumbered by far those received in the past by other articles in that section. [That the Times failed to report this to him came as no surprise.]
His life seemingly was a cornucopia of interesting and unique moments.
He and Theodore C. Sorenson, the late President Kennedy’s speech writer and advisor, were close friends. Yet, he wondered when Sorenson inscribed his latest book to him with the words, “For My Oldest Friend in New York City, ” whether Ted was playing with words; except for their annual doubles tennis match at Ted’s home, they were together less and less frequently in recent years.
In the 1950s he was selected by his colleagues - a committee of staff members of Congressional Republican Members of Congress - to present the pledge of support of Republican workers throughout the country to President Eisenhower. This was in an effort to encourage the incumbent president to accept the GOP nomination for a second term. The event took place in the Rose Garden at the White House with Eisenhower standing at his side.
His life was also marked by public relations successes for well-known corporate clients.
The chairman of PepsiCo Inc. turned to Mr. Wolfson, at the time the most junior communications advisor present, during a heated board meeting, and asked: “What is a good public posture in the face of this situation?”
Lay had been told by others in the conference he had to fight no matter what to save his standing in the business world. Wolfson answered:
“That’s crap! Whatever you consider the soundest business position also is the best public relations stand in a situation like this. It is what will show you as the fine businessman you are.” This conviction proved correct.
When Good Seasons Salad Dressing Mix was about to be dropped by General Foods because of poor start-up sales, he created Senate Salad. For this he had U.S. Senators from different states represent their hometown ingredients - lettuce, oil, vinegar, salad dressing mix, lobster, etc. The Senators served the salad to their colleagues and press in the Capitol from a specially carved 3-foot wide bowl created especially for the event. The scores of public impressions this event made in newspapers, magazines and on TV resulted in a flood of sales for Good Seasons overnight and launched the product on its immensely successful lifetime.
When Lever Brother retained Mr. Wolfson to introduce a new product, Cold Water All, he convinced the Michigan State Legislature to proclaim the city of Coldwater the washing capital of the United States for a day. On that day, he had two Mrs. Americas, a native Indian and the Mrs. America contest winner, do a national laundry there - before scores of television cameras as well as print media, which reached every state in the Union. The dirty linen was provided by members of Congress; the laundry detergent took off with a surge.
In the 1950s, a New York City newspaper strike made it impossible for most World’s Fair participants to gain coverage for their exhibits. For his client, The House of Good Taste, Mr. Wolfson had 16 square feet of land cut from Flushing Meadow and shipped 240 miles to the nation’s Capitol. There, directly off the Senate Floor, with more than a dozen U.S. Senators wielding silver plated shovels, he conducted a groundbreaking. The coverage this generated became the largest, single-day media event of any World’s Fair.
Unable to convince Norton Simon that their Tanqueray Gin Amateur Sports Achievement should not be given to a minor he did the next best thing. He suggested it be given to gymnast Olga Korbut - unreachable, he thought because she would be too difficult to communicate with in far-away Russia. The following day, to his surprise, she appeared in the United States for a tour sponsored by a competitor’s firm. Forced to act quickly, he wrangled an invitation to dine with Korbut that night, traveled with her for the next 10 days, and finally convinced the minuscule gymnast and her managers to accept the award from his client before she returned to the U.S.S.R.
Mr. Wolfson often stated that even the worst accused criminal is as entitled to competent public relations counsel as he or she is to legal counsel. As a result, almost as a dare, he was invited to represent a labor leader who had been indicted on more than 40 criminal accounts. After accepting the challenge, he failed to gain one inch of print or one second of airtime for his client’s side of the story. He always stood by his conviction and was eager to try again.
His Jersey Shore Guest Chef fund-raising crab cake dinners, served from restaurants, clubs and hotel dining rooms, sold out as soon as they were announced. For more than a decade these dinners raised funds for a number of worthy causes.
It has been said Mr. Wolfson enjoyed dining at The Cottage in Point Pleasant, more than anything - including the time he spent at the Bay Head Yacht Club.
Mr. Wolfson is survived by two sons, Thomas, of Del Mar, Calif.; and Michael, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; a daughter, Amy Bigerna, of South Orange, and two grandchildren.
Eulogies will be given by his daughter, Amy Bigerna; Barbara Earle, his closet intellectual friend who also didn’t inhibit his four-letter laced chats; Runyon Colie; world-recognized small boat sailing champion, Peter Cancro, founding chief executive officer of the coast-to-coast Jersey Mike’s restaurant syndicate; and Norman Goran, retired producer of “60 Minutes.”
Visitation will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at The Van Hise & Callagan Funeral Home, Point Pleasant Beach, a graveside service will follow at 10 a.m. at Greenwood Cemetery, Brielle.
John R. Sperry
Point Pleasant resident John R. Sperry died Friday, Nov. 30 in Monmouth Care Center, Long Branch.
He was 80 years old.
Mr. Sperry was born in Freehold, and had lived in Brielle before moving to Point Pleasant.
He was a World War II Veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy. He also volunteered for the D.A.V. of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
Mr. Sperry was an electrician for the I.B.E.W. Local No. 400, working in the central New Jersey area his whole life, retiring in 1989.
He is survived by his wife, Marsha Sperry, of Point Pleasant; two sons, John Gorbich, of Freehold, and Scott Sperry, of Ocean Grove; a daughter, Tracey Bos, of Chesapeake, Va.; three grandchildren, Brianna Bos, Kelsey Bos and Shannon Sperry; and two sisters and a brother-in-law, Olga D’Lia, of Spring Lake, and Mary and Tom Kasprzak, of Pine Beach.
The Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, Freehold Township handled the arrangements. Interment
took place in Old Tennent Cemetery, Tennent, Manalapan. For condolence messages to the family, log on to www.claytonfuneralhome.com.
George A. Sigler
Point Pleasant resident George A. Sigler died Saturday, Dec. 1 in his home.
He was 84 years old.
He was born March 3, 1923 in Newport, R.I.
In 1927, at age 4, Mr. Sigler’s family arrived in East Orange. Then in 1931, they moved to Montclair, where Mr. Sigler spent his youth.
In 1941, he graduated second in his class at Montclair High School. Accepted by Seton Hall University at South Orange, he studied there for three years. In 1942, he went to work for the Monroe Machine Company in Orange.
Shortly thereafter, in 1943, he was schooled in counter intelligence at Fort Hamilton in New York City. Subsequently, he joined the 26th Infantry known as the “Yankee Division.” Then in 1945, his group was folded into the famed “Rainbow Division” as a part of the 45th Infantry. In that year, he fought in the Battle of Schweinfort and later arrived in time to participate in the April 29, 1945 liberation of the infamous German Dachau prison camp, scene of the Jewish Holocaust.
Mr. Sigler received the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal and the Worel War II Victory Medal. He was discharged on April 9, 1946, with the rank of technician sergeant.
Upon returning to the U.S., he was invited to rejoin the Monroe Calculating Company. During his 25-year service with Monroe, he was repeatedly elevated and reached the position of regional sales manager.
After taking an early retirement from the Monroe Company in 1967, he returned to the workforce and served as a court clerk in the Essex County Superior Court system for 10 years.
George was predeceased by his parents, Sarah Honan and Stephen Sigler; and his brother, Stephen Sigler Jr.
He is survived by his wife, Anne Russell Behar Sigler; two daughters, Cheryl Collins, of Livingston, and Diane Critchett, of Roseland; a stepdaughter, Barbara Aurand, of Pennsylvania; and a stepson, Stanley Russell, of Hackettstown. Mr. Sigler also leaves four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind his loving and devoted caretaker, Betty Bernard.
Arrangements were by the O’Brien Funeral Home, Brick. Interment
was at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover.
Doris L. Trampler VanGelder
Point Pleasant Beach resident Doris L. Trampler VanGelder died Tuesday, Dec. 4 in Ocean Medical Center, Brick.
She was 78 years old.
Born in Jersey City, she lived in Fairview before moving to Point Pleasant Beach 31 years ago.
She was a homemaker.
She was a member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Manasquan.
Surviving are her husband, Arthur VanGelder, to whom she was married
50 years; a daughter, Karen Swank and her husband, William, of Point Pleasant Beach; and a grandson, Christopher Swank.
The Colonial Funeral Home, Brick, handled the arrangements. Interment
took place at Ocean County Memorial Park, Toms River.
Donations in Mrs. VanGelder’s name can be made to the American Diabetes Association.
